Do kids even trade snacks at the lunch table anymore?
By @niaactually · Nostalgia
I was packing my son's lunch and had a full-blown flashback to my elementary school days. The high-stakes world of trading Dunkaroos for a Fruit Roll-Up was peak economics.
The full story
I'm talking Gushers, Lunchables, those little frosted animal crackers. It was a battlefield. You had to know the market. A homemade cookie was worthless, but a pristine packet of Handi-Snacks cheese and crackers? You could rule the table with that. Now with all the allergy rules and wellness policies (which I get!), I feel like my kid is missing out on that whole social experience. Is he?
How people voted
- Facts — 31% (68 votes)
- Depends — 41% (92 votes)
- No Way — 28% (62 votes)
Readers are split: “Depends” leads with 41% — 222 votes and 10 comments so far.
What people are saying
@niaactually — You eat what your parents packed you, period.
@jettkk — This is just you projecting your own childhood nostalgia onto his experience.
@gina — This is such a sweet memory! I totally get why you'd want him to have that same kind of fun.
@vincehm — lmao
@benyk — I would start a black market snack ring with the other parents just to recreate this experience for our kids.
@ivyish — Are you sure this is a real problem or are you just sad you can't find Dunkaroos anymore?
@quinnmm — My daughter traded her entire lunch for a single half-used glitter pen last week, the economy is in shambles.
@heyokay — Have you just asked your son if he and his friends trade food?
@ehhokay — My kid's school has a 'no sharing' rule so now they just passive-aggressively show each other what they have. it’s way more dramatic.
@anywayyy — Yes, I'm sure his entire formative experience has been ruined.
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